2012 Draft Day Thread + Cubs Picks Discussion

[javy knows my name]

He is mentioned literally on this page, in davell's post.

[Guest]

He is mentioned literally on this page, in davell's post.

 

And is mentioned on nearly every page for the last 10 or 15.

[UMFan83]

LOL I just clicked on page 42 and read the first 2 posts and thought "I bet it was WSR".

[davell]

Couple of blurbs on PSD, one that says Amlung is undecided. The other one is much bigger, coming from a guy at the 15 and under wood bat championships. Said college coaches are everyone and UGA coaches think they have a better than 50% chance of getting Underwood, saying he's reluctant to start his pro career. If this IS the case, you've got to think it's a change of heart, or else we wouldn't have taken him when we did. Hopefully, this is nothing, but figured it was worth posting at least.

[Guest]

Couple of blurbs on PSD, one that says Amlung is undecided. The other one is much bigger, coming from a guy at the 15 and under wood bat championships. Said college coaches are everyone and UGA coaches think they have a better than 50% chance of getting Underwood, saying he's reluctant to start his pro career. If this IS the case, you've got to think it's a change of heart, or else we wouldn't have taken him when we did. Hopefully, this is nothing, but figured it was worth posting at least.

 

Ehh, college coaches are generally the worst judge of whether their commits will go pro or not.

 

Amlung's loss if he wants to return for his redshirt senior and only get $10,000 next year.

[Wrigley Rat]

Less than three weeks after graduating from Nipomo High School, Ryan McNeil is about to start his professional baseball career. The third round pick in this month's draft by the Chicago Cubs has agreed to terms with the Cubs.

http://www.ksby.com/news/mcneil-agrees-to-terms-with-cubs-eager-to-start-pro-career/

[Guest]

Trey Lang signed for $165,000. Slot for pick 194 is $192,500.

[TruffleShuffle]

Trey Lang signed for $165,000. Slot for pick 194 is $192,500.

 

not sure what mcneill has signed for, but it we assume that it was slot money, then i would think that a little over $500k (or nearly $700k when you include the 0-5% overage) above slot should be enough to get deals done with almora and underwood.

[Guest]

Trey Lang signed for $165,000. Slot for pick 194 is $192,500.

 

not sure what mcneill has signed for, but it we assume that it was slot money, then i would think that a little over $500k (or nearly $700k when you include the 0-5% overage) above slot should be enough to get deals done with almora and underwood.

 

Here are the up-to-date figures, with Almora, Underwood and McNeil unsigned (I don't have the bonus on McNeil):

 

2012 Bonus Pool +/-: $509,700 Under Budget

2012 Bonus Pool +/- including 5% overage: $681,820 Under Budget

[RammyFanny]

Yeah, the article said McNeil was "around slot" if I remember right. Or something to that degree.

[UK1679666180]

Albert Almora:

 

Position: OF

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180

Bats/Throws: R/R

Birthdate: April 16, 1994

High School: Mater Academy

City, State: Hialeah, Fla.

Travel Team: Florida Legends

Commitment: Miami

Projected Draft Round: 1, 1S

 

Florida high school outfielder Albert Almora will present professional scouts with an interesting decision this June. Scouts love to see physical tools, especially on right handed hitting high school outfielders. Almora is a 6.8 runner, average on the Major League scale and short of what one would usually project as a centerfielder’s speed. His raw arm strength would also grade out around a 50; again, major league average for an outfielder. And at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Almora isn’t the physical specimen that one picks out right off the bus as the top prospect.

 

But what scouts have come to realize is that Almora might be the best baseball player in the 2012 class in terms of performance and overall skills.

 

Almora’s big league average speed plays up because he gets outstanding jumps to balls in the outfield and is a hyper aggressive baserunner who is always looking to take the extra base and rarely is thrown out. Aside from the jumps and routes he runs in the outfield, his arm strength plays up because he has a very quick release fueled by perfect fundamental footwork and his throws are unfailingly accurate and on-line. The teams that like him the most will be the ones who have seen him play centerfield most frequently and believe he will stay there at the big league level.

 

Almora also has a long resume for performing at top events against top level competition. He hit .455-1-15 on the 2010 USA National 16U team, then followed up by being named the Most Valuable Player (.365-0-13/10 SBs) at the 2011 Pan Am 18U championship won by the USA National 18U team. He blasted home runs in his first two at bats at the 2011 East Coast Professional Showcase and has always been a top level performer at WWBA events while being named a 2011 Perfect Game All-American. There has never been a stage where Almora wasn’t one of the top hitters present.

 

Scouts also know that if they were to pass on Almora out of high school that he’s the type who would dominate college baseball for three years at Miami and likely be a top 10 pick when he re-entered the draft in 2015. It’s a question of pay me now or pay me more later under the new draft system.

 

Pierce Johnson

 

Even though he was drafted in the 15th round in 2009, Johnson was lightly scouted and recruited out of a small Colorado private school. He went on to post a 1-2, 7.52 record as a freshman for Missouri State with marginal improvement as a sophomore (6-5, 4.76, 75 IP/80 H/34 BB/72 SO). His time spent in the Cape Cod League last summer was limited to 12 innings after Johnson dislocated a knee cap while warming up for a start. Despite his performance over his first two years in college, Johnson began the 2012 season as a legitimate candidate to be an early-round pick in this year’s draft, and that scenario began to unfold on cue this spring, even as the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Johnson went 2-6, 2.85. But looking beyond the basic box score provides a more accurate reading on the true degree of Johnson’s talent. His lively fastball has been consistently in the 92-94 mph area this spring, while touching a high of 96 mph—several miles faster than his fastball as a high-school senior, or even as a college sophomore. His biggest improvement this spring, though, has come in the quality and command of his two off-speed pitches, a low-80s breaking ball that is alternatively called a slider and a hard curve by scouts, and a potential plus change. Johnson’s 3-week stint on the sidelines in April with forearm tenderness doesn’t seem to have hurt his draft stock, as he returned with no obvious signs of discomfort or a decline in raw stuff. Johnson’s chances of ultimately landing in the first round in June may all hinge on his final outing of the 2012 season, possibly in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

 

Paul Blackburn

 

In the northern California prep ranks, Blackburn doesn’t have the raw stuff of fellow pitchers Freddy Avis (No. 19) or James Marvel (No. 30), but there are few better arms anywhere in terms of pitchability and a quality three-pitch mix. The Arizona State signee pitches in the 88-92 mph range with a nasty 78-mph curveball and a potential plus changeup. Though somewhat undersized at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, scouts are quick to recognize that he is one of those pitchers where the whole package is greater than the sum of his parts, and he could go as early as the third round.

 

DUANE UNDERWOOD, rhp, Pope HS, Marietta.

 

Underwood and righthander Lucas Sims (No. 3) have been closely linked by scouts throughout their high-school and summer-ball careers, and are fellow Perfect Game All-Americans. Neither pitcher has had a consistently-dominant spring season, and Sims currently ranks slightly higher of the two as a prospect for this year’s draft for most clubs, though Underwood has his share of supporters to go first. While he hasn’t flashed the 97’s and 98’s this spring like he occasionally did last summer, his fastball has topped out at 94-95 mph in most outings, and he creates his superior velocity with less effort than most mid-90s types in the 2012 class. Underwood’s best secondary pitch is an 82-84 mph changeup that he throws with very good arm speed and often commands better than his fastball. While his low-70s curveball doesn't show the same polish, it does offer promise, and he can locate the pitch unusually well, especially when he uses it early in counts to get ahead.

 

RYAN McNEIL, rhp, Nipomo HS

 

Yet another 2011 Perfect Game All-American hailing from California, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound McNeil is a big, mature righthander with a mature approach to pitching. There isn’t much projection left in his frame, but his stuff is solid enough right now that he doesn’t have to get much better to profile as an innings-eating, a third-or fourth-round type of starter. McNeil throws from a low-effort, slow-paced delivery and consistent high-three-quarters release point, and pounds the strike zone with a heavy, sinking 90-92-mph fastball that will occasionally top at 93. McNeil’s best pitch is a 78-mph curve that has unusual depth for a breaking ball with that kind of velocity, and McNeil uses it effectively as a strikeout pitch. He’ll also mix in an occasional 77-mph changeup. There are a few mechanical tweaks that McNeil can brush up on, including keeping his front side closed longer before release, but overall he’s a pretty finished product. He is 2-3, 1.21 this spring with 60 strikeouts in 40 innings.

 

JOSH CONWAY, rhp, Coastal Carolina University (Jr.)

 

After taking the better part of three seasons to firmly establish himself as a legitimate pitching prospect for this year’s draft, Conway was dealt a cruel blow April 26, when he hurt his elbow in a game against Liberty and learned a day later that he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery. That setback not only threw his prospects for the upcoming draft up in the air, but rendered uncertain his pitching plans for roughly the next year. Conway had experienced a little elbow discomfort about three weeks earlier and skipped a start, but was pain-free in his next two outings and had little indication that something was amiss in the game he was hurt when his fastball was clocked in the 95-96 mph range. Conway’s evolution into one of the nation’s premier pitching prospects began somewhat unexpectedly when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009 out of a Maryland high school as an outfielder. The versatile, athletic Conway split time between the mound and a field position in his first two seasons at Coastal Carolina, by which time it had become clear where his future lay and he chose to focus solely on pitching this year. After going 8-2, 2.69 with three saves as a sophomore for the Chanticleers, while walking 23 and striking out 70 in 77 innings, he was 4-1, 2.14 with 18 walks and 50 strikeouts in 55 innings this season at the time of his injury. Despite a medium-sized frame at 6-feet-1 and 190 pounds, Conway has unusually long limbs and boasts a very quick, powerful arm from a traditional three-quarters slot. He has a lively fastball that fluctuated from 91-94 mph most of the spring, before peaking in the mid-90s on his fateful night. He often generated good arm-side cutting action on the pitch in the high-80s, and had a true two-plane, mid-80s power slider and 83-84 mph changeup with sink and fade as his secondary pitches. Despite his slender frame, Conway boasted a clean, easy delivery, which should have alleviated any concerns that he might be vulnerable to an arm injury of any kind, but that obviously didn’t prove to be the case.

 

ANTHONY PRIETO, lhp, Americas HS, El Paso

 

A minor injury that caused Prieto to miss five weeks of action this spring, plus his slender 5-foot-9 frame and remote location in El Paso, which scouts are generally loathe to visit, have all conspired to put Prieto at a disadvantage vs. his peers in the rest of Texas. There’s no disputing, though, that Prieto, a little southpaw with a loose, lightning-fast left arm, has impressive stuff. He is capable of producing fastballs in the 87-92 mph range and a hard curveball that is his primary strikeout pitch. He also gets plus marks for his pitchability and competitiveness.

 

TREY LANG, rhp, GateWay CC (So.).

 

An unheralded but physically-imposing Arizona high-school product, Lang spent his freshman year at Northern Illinois University before electing to return home and play for a local junior college. Almost overnight last fall, he began throwing in the mid-90s and driving balls long distances, and his stock as both a pitcher and outfielder jumped to a point where he entered the 2012 season as one of the nation’s premier junior-college prospects. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Lang has played both ways for GateWay this spring, taking a regular turn in the outfield while serving as the team’s closer, but scouts have clearly taken more of a liking to his work on the mound as he has allowed just one earned run in 24 innings while striking out 27 and saving three games. While his fastball has touched 96 on occasion out of the pen, it has sat more consistently at 91-92 mph and he has complemented it effectively with an occasional plus slider and average change.

 

STEPHEN BRUNO, if, University of Virginia (Jr.)

 

Bruno hit .388-3-30 in an injury-plagued freshman season for Virginia and was solidly entrenched as the team’s shortstop when the 2011 season began, but suffered a severe hamstring injury in his seventh game and missed the balance of the season. He regrouped last summer at Terre Haute of the Prospect League, midway through the season, and hit .394-6-19 the remainder of the way while displaying surprisingly good range, solid hands and footwork, and superior arm strength in his return to shortstop. No matter his achievements in the field in summer ball, Bruno had already forfeited his starting job at shortstop at Virginia to the faster, rangier Chris Taylor (No. 3), who did a sound job filling in for Bruno after his injury, leaving Bruno to open the 2012 season for the Cavaliers at third base. Despite his smallish 5-foot-9, 165-pound stature, Bruno has serious pop to all fields and profiles as an offensive second baseman at the next level, though could probably hold his own at third, and possibly even short, with his powerful bat, soft, sure hands and above-average arm. His lack of speed and range, however, would be seen as a deterrent at shortstop in the long run. What Bruno does best of all is hit. He leads the Cavaliers this season with a .374 average and 20 doubles, is tied for the team RBI lead with 47 and second in home runs with six.

 

Michael Heesch- Honestly there's not much out there for him, I seen him at Prairie Ridge many times and throughout the '07 Summer. He was 85-88 with a decent CB, he was immature both at Prairie Ridge and when he attended UIC. I imagine he's 86-89 with a good curve, most likely projects out of the pen, whether or not he's developed physically enough (had baby fat in HS) to where his delivery and release points can be repeated, will determine his future value.

 

CHADD KRIST, c, University of California (Sr.)

 

Krist surprised scouts and the coaching staff at California when he elected not to sign last summer with the Chicago White Sox after being drafted in the 13th round. Sophomore Andrew Knapp, coming off a .400 summer season in the Northwoods League, was the heir apparent to replace Krist behind the plate for the Bears but with both catchers unexpectedly returning, Krist was handed the job again. Knapp has bided his time at first base. There has actually been little to differentiate the two in terms of the offense they have produced—Krist is hitting .296-3-23, Knapp .300-4-20—but Knapp’s receiving and blocking skills are considered vastly superior.

 

Chad Martin, Indiana

 

I seen him once as a Junior, definitely a project type pick, he was 89-92, touched 93 and now he's 90-93 touching 96. He didn't have a good breaking ball or off-speed pitch and was inconsistent mechanically. Didn't show a good feel for pitching. Worth the risk for a 10th rounder with that size and live arm.

 

Rashad Crawford- Mundy's Mill, GA

 

6'2" 180 switch-hitter, plus runner/athlete, avg. arm strength, line drive hitter, speed hasn't translated to the field yet. Has to get stronger.

 

JUSTIN AMLUNG, rhp, University of Louisville (Jr.)

Amlung was red-shirted as a freshman at Louisville, and as an engineering major with stout academic credentials was considered more of a student than baseball player for the better part of two years in the Cardinals program. But the 6-foot, 180-pound righthander made huge strides as a pitching prospect a year ago in going 10-2, 2.31 with 80 strikeouts in 105 innings. That led to his being taken in the 39th round of the 2011 draft by the Cincinnati Reds as a draft-eligible sophomore, and despite offers that topped $200,000 from a starting point of $50,000, Amlung refused to sign in favor of returning to Louisville. He has essentially duplicated his performance this spring in going 8-3, 1.99 with 18 walks and 91 strikeouts in 90 innings. And by allowing just 58 hits, Amlung leads the Big East Conference in opponent batting average. In addition to being very difficult to square up, Amlung has an excellent feel for pitching and commands his 90-93 mph fastball, hard 78-79 slider and dynamite change extremely well in the bottom of the strike zone. An unconventional arm action adds to his deception.

 

BIJAN RADEMACHER, of/lhp, Orange Coast CC (Fr.)

Though he has played a key season-long role in leading Orange Coast to a No. 1 national ranking at the junior-college level, Rademacher has been somewhat overshadowed most of this spring. And yet now, with the draft lurking, he may end up becoming the first player drafted off the Pirates roster. It wasn’t until the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Rademacher agreed to even take up pitching late in the season and subsequently took over the closer role for OCC shortly thereafter that scouts began to seriously take notice of his talent. Not only did Rademacher show a surprisingly good feel for pitching along with an easy, loose delivery, but he mixed in a 90-93 mph fastball with a dominating hard slider to post three saves in his first four appearances, while also striking out five in four innings. Rademacher expressed no interest in pitching when he red-shirted as a freshman at Cal State Fullerton in 2011, and similar reluctance initially when he transferred to Orange Coast. But he quickly realized when he started throwing bullpens and flashing superior stuff that pitching might be his meal ticket in the draft. The fact that he has an extremely-fresh arm only adds to his draft appeal. Before making his first appearance on the mound, Rademacher had already begun to make strides with scouts for his blossoming play as a power-hitting right fielder with solid all-around tools. He is hitting .342-6-42 on the season, and tied for the team lead in RBIs, but it’s his work on the mound that has most energized scouts.

 

Corbin Hoffman-

 

I don't live in Florida nor is there much on him even in our database, he was 87-90 obviously has size, likely won't add velo, ok breaking ball and shows a feel for his change-up. has raw power at the plate with a long swing. projects more as a pitcher than positional guy.

 

CARLOS ESCOBAR, c, University of Nevada (Jr.)

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Escobar has very solid catching and throwing skills, and his superior intangibles are readily in evidence behind the plate as he is very competitive and has a solid feel for calling a game. His defense is ahead of his bat at this stage of his career, even after an apparent breakout season last summer in the Northwoods League, where he hit .345 (third in the league), while also contributing 16 doubles and seven home runs. Escobar hit .289-4-25 as a sophomore for Nevada, and even with subtle adjustments and improvements in his hitting mechanics has hit at roughly the same pace as a junior (.285-4-33).

 

Escobar has a tall, slender frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, and shows good bat speed with the ability to catch up to good fastballs. He got off to a fast start during the summer at Wisconsin, and finished third in batting with a .345 average while also hitting 16 doubles and seven home runs. Most of his power was to the gaps. He also has a strong arm and a quick transfer on his throws from behind the plate, but needs to work on blocking balls and his game-calling skills. He has a solid upside as an offensive-minded catcher.

 

Micheal Hamann- Toledo. Tall, slender, RHP with a plus arm. FB despite the should injury touched 93 over the Spring. Needs to add size as well as develop a consistent delivery and find a consistent slider. A standard project arm, hopefully the continuing healing of his shoulder and throwing out of the pen will add some more velo similar to when he was coming out of HS.

 

Nathan Dorris- 6'3" 190 LHP, throws 86-88 can tough 90, had a slurvy breaking ball in HS and now has gone to a true slider, flashes a decent change-up. Original commit to Vandy, then transferred to a JUCO in Southern IL, then went to SIU. Hasn't pitched much, had some injury issues and was homesick.

 

David Bote- 5'11" 175 LB SS, avg. athletically, line drive swing, above avg. runner, avg. arm strength. Most likely a utility type guy in the minors.

 

DAMEK TOMSCHA, 3b, Iowa Western CC (So.)

Tomscha has swung the bat at a fast clip in two years at Iowa Western, including a resounding .438-15-64 season with 23 doubles as a sophomore as the Reivers began play in the Junior College World Series. Despite his prowess at the plate, scouts see a higher upside in Tomscha on the mound, though he did not pitch again this spring and has made it clear that he has no interest in pitching. Tomscha’s best asset as a third baseman is his raw arm strength, and scouts believe he could reach the mid-90s consistently if he ever showed any inclination towards pitching. He has only ever worked off the mound to any degree in fall practice. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Tomscha has a big, powerful frame, and is athletic enough that he could have played basketball at the college level had he so chosen. Though his swing has some length, he makes consistent contact and flashes easy raw pull power, though will struggle occasionally against off-speed stuff.

 

 

BLAKE HICKMAN, c/rhp, Simeon Academy, Chicago

Hickman has received a significant amount of scouting attention over the past two years, due mainly to his lively 6-foot-4, 200-pound build and overall athleticism. He is very projectable in all areas of his game, but very raw at the same time. Hickman’s righthanded swing flashes plus power and he has significant present arm strength behind the plate. Scouts have begun to think about a future on the mound for Hickman to take maximum advantage of his arm strength and lanky build, and he actually took to the mound early this spring and impressed scouts immediately with a fastball that touched 94 mph, prompting the Major League Scouting Bureau to assign Hickman an overall future potential grade of 55 on the hill (on the standard 20-80 scale), a higher grade than any Illinois high schooler, including lefthander Alex Young, the state’s No. 1 prospect. Unfortunately, Hickman sustained a serious throat injury soon afterwards when hit by a pitch while catching, and he missed 11 games. There is no doubt that Hickman has two big pro-level tools in his power and arm strength, but how they fit in the context of the draft is difficult to predict.

 

Hickman had a very high scouting profile entering his senior year, with trips to Perfect Game’s National Showcase last June and the Area Code Games last August to his credit, along with a couple of trips to World Wood Bat Association championship events. His very athletic 6-foot-4, 200-pound build is an obvious attention getter, as are his above-average raw power and arm strength. Hickman’s spring season took an unfortunate turn when he was hit in the throat by a wild pitch while catching, and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he underwent an emergency tracheotomy. He missed only 11 games, though, and blasted a huge home run in one of his first games back to signal his return. Hickman has committed to Iowa, where he might get an opportunity to show off his considerable arm on the mound.

 

(Side note: He'll end up a P)

 

Stephan Perakslis- RHP Maine, he's listed as a SS but I can't imagine the Cubs keeping him there. Undersized at 6'1" 180, throws 90-93 with a 12/5 CB and a slider, straight FB, with ok secondary stuff.

 

Eduardo Orozco- UC-Riverside 85-88 RHP, great size, locates pitches well, best pitch is his + curveball.

 

JAKE DROSSNER, lhp, Council Rock North HS, Richboro

Drossner is a loose-framed, young-looking 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw who excites scouts with his projectability, whip-like arm action and solid three-pitch mix. He already has some strength in his body, but has plenty of room to get stronger, especially in his upper body. Drossner has a long, extended arm action while staying tall over the rubber, and gets very good leverage and downhill angle on his pitches from a high-three-quarters release point. His fastball is regularly in the 88-90 mph range and will top out at 91-92, at times, with good running life, especially for a lefthander. It’s hard to envision that Drossner won’t continue to add more velocity as he matures. Both his primary secondary pitches are solid offerings. His 74-mph curve has hard spin and a big downer bite, on occasion, due to Drossner’s release point. He also shows a nice feel for an 80-mph changeup, although doesn’t use it much. Drossner is also working on a cutter/slider on the side to give hitters another look. His delivery is pretty sound, and the ball comes out of his hand with little effort. Like fellow top Pennsylvania high-school prospect Jared Price (No. 2), Drossner has signed with Maryland.

 

JAMESON FISHER, c, Zachary HS

Fisher is a small, but quick lefthanded-hitting catcher who played shortstop at the beginning of his high-school career before moving behind the plate. His best tool is easily his bat as he hit .476 with 20 doubles as a junior and is hitting an eye-opening .567 this spring. Fisher signed with Southeastern Louisiana prior to the season, but has been getting increased attention from scouts as the spring progresses.

 

RHETT WISEMAN, of, Buckingham, Browne & Nichols HS, Mansfield

Wiseman was one of the most-active participants on the elite high-school showcase/tournament schedule last summer and fall, and it represented both valuable exposure and experience for a top prospect from New England as scouts gained a better feel for what Wiseman can do against top-level competition. He generally showed a potentially-dynamic combination of power and speed, and Wiseman’s appeal was further enhanced by hitting from the left side of the plate. The tightly-wound, 6-foot-1, 195-pound Wiseman grades out as an above-average runner as he has been timed as low as 3.63 seconds to first base on a bunt, 4.07 on a full swing and 6.51 in the 60. His swing has some effort to it, a term more commonly used with pitchers than position players, but Wiseman has shown the aptitude to adjust well to off-speed pitches and still makes consistent hard contact against 90-plus velocity. The ball comes off his bat as hard as any player in the country when he squares it up. Any notion of toning down Wiseman’s swing is probably not an option for future coaches as he is an all-out, 100-percent hustle player that doesn’t know much else other than maximum effort. His superior speed and constant motor combine to provide him plenty of range for center field, but he may be pushed to a corner down the road. Wiseman attends Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School, one of the most-exclusive private schools in the country, which is located a mere four miles from Boston’s Fenway Park. He has signed to attend college at Vanderbilt, so his signability might be a complicated process for scouts.

 

Jasvir Rakkar- 6'2" 200 RHP out of Stonybrook. Thick-bodied, 90-94 FB out of the pen decent slider, FB is pretty straight, and not much of a change-up.

 

Tyler Bremer- 6'2" 210 RHP Baylor- 86-89FB with a plus curve and a splitter he uses against LH'ers. He throws strikes and can use either the curve or the split to put you away.

 

Lance Rymel- 6'0" 180 C- avg. to above avg. arm strength, line drive swing, good footwork.

 

AUSTIN PENTACOST, rhp, Lewis-Clark State University (Sr.)

Lewis-Clark State’s best potential draft is the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Pentacost, who has gone 6-3, 2.78 with 38 walks and 66 strikeouts in 74 innings as a senior starter. He utilizes a fastball that sits at 90-92 mph and tops at 93, plus a breaking ball and a splitter.

 

IZAAC GARSEZ, of, College of Idaho

The College of Idaho stole some of Lewis-Clark State’s thunder in 1998 (when it was known then as Albertson College) by winning the NAIA World Series, and the Coyotes (41-19) could do so again this year as a rare second Idaho entry in the NAIA national tournament. No player has been more responsible for the team’s success than Garsez, a senior who hit .396-8-52 and led the Coyotes in batting, homers, runs (75), triples (12) and stolen bases (29). He also went 1-0, 1.08 with 11 strikeouts in eight innings on the mound. Garsez is surprisingly athletic in his compact 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame, as his bat has strength and quickness and he throws well enough to settle into right field at the next level.

 

Bryan Bonnell 6'5" 195 Centennial HS-Las Vegas, NV- 87-90 FB, projectable frame, solid CB, not much of a change-up.

 

TIM SAUNDERS, ss, Edenton Steamers (Marietta, Ohio/SR in 2012)

SCOUTING PROFILE: Went unrecruited out of Ohio HS as slight 6-0/150 SS, has since added 20-25 pounds, developed into premium player at small-college level; hit .385-3-53 with 27 SB last spring, led Marietta to D-III national title; solid defender, plus hands/arm, teamed with 2B Wendle as strong DP combo for Steamers; hit .306-2-16, 17 SB in 18 attempts with 6.65 speed in 60.

 

THOMAS PANNONE, of/lhp, RI 6'0" 180 OF with avg. speed, quick bat with pop and an avg. arm. Likely sign at Miami, should be a solid collegiate player.

 

Ben Carhart, 3B/rhp (Stetson/SR) Undersized 3Bwith short/compact swing and avg. power, as a closer with 90-93 FB max effort, hard SL.

 

Sly Edwards, St. Brennens, FL. ++ runner. sprays the ball to all fields, needs to add strength, playable arm strength, games revolves around his speed.

 

CLAYTON CRUM, rhp, Howard JC (RS-Fr.)

Crum is the third Howard College pitcher to crack this list, and like most pitchers from that school he throws unusually hard. His fastball has been clocked up to 96 mph this spring, though has been a more typical 92-94. Crum has an athletic frame at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and a quick, powerful arm, but he does little more than throw hard at this stage of his development. He gets good life, run and sink on his fastball, but has struggled to command the pitch consistently since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2009. He also struggles to throw his breaking ball, a slider, for strikes and typically throws it more for break than depth. A transfer from Texas, Crum has gone 6-3, 3.26 as a starter for Howard, while walking 27 and striking out 53 in 47 innings. He has committed to Oregon for the 2013 season.

 

Hassan Evens OF/RHP Herkimer College, NY 6'3 200 RH'er his best asset is his arm strength which he'll likely up as a pitcher, but would've been drafted earlier had he wanted to pitch, the Cubs were the only ones willing to draft him as an OF'er 1st. Avg. bat speed, avg. runner, + arm strength, can tough mid 90s from the mound without much secondary stuff. Like Hickman, will likely end up on the mound.

 

Rustin Sveum-HS AZ, typical courtesy pick seen late in drafts. Slender young build, minimal present strength. Clean infield actions, moves through the ball well, stays balanced, second base arm strength, 7.76 runner. Switch-hitter, sound fundamental swing right handed, square stance, short line drive swing, good extension through contact, squares up well. Less bat speed left handed, rotational swing.

 

JACOB ROGERS, of/3b, Thomasville Hi-Toms (Mt. Olive, N.C./SR in 2012)

SCOUTING PROFILE: Pro body at 6-4/210, flashes big-league power to all fields in strong LH swing, but needs better frequency rate; hit .414-4-53 with 25 2B in spring at D-II Mt. Olive, .275-5-25 on summer with 28 BB/36 SO; balanced approach at plate, but needs to add more lift in swing; played on both infield corners in past, profiles more as corner OF with average arm, 7.18 speed.

Edited June 26, 2012 by UK

[Guest]

Thank, UK!

[jersey cubs fan]

Albert Almora:

 

Projected Draft Round: 1, 1S

 

But what scouts have come to realize is that Almora might be the best baseball player in the 2012 class in terms of performance and overall skills.

 

Scouts also know that if they were to pass on Almora out of high school that he’s the type who would dominate college baseball for three years at Miami and likely be a top 10 pick when he re-entered the draft in 2015. It’s a question of pay me now or pay me more later under the new draft system.

 

While the comments on Almora are positive it is a little confusing about how they view the guy. The last part indicates they didn't think he was a top 10 candidate this year, despite indications that he was the best high school player (which would always be a top 10, no?).

[UK1679666180]

Edited June 26, 2012 by UK

[davell]

Thanks a bunch UK. I don't know why, but I was under the impression McNeil was the opposite actually. I thought he was very raw and needed a ton of work. Must have confused him with someone else.

[Guest]

BIJAN RADEMACHER, of/lhp, Orange Coast CC (Fr.)

Though he has played a key season-long role in leading Orange Coast to a No. 1 national ranking at the junior-college level, Rademacher has been somewhat overshadowed most of this spring. And yet now, with the draft lurking, he may end up becoming the first player drafted off the Pirates roster. It wasn’t until the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Rademacher agreed to even take up pitching late in the season and subsequently took over the closer role for OCC shortly thereafter that scouts began to seriously take notice of his talent. Not only did Rademacher show a surprisingly good feel for pitching along with an easy, loose delivery, but he mixed in a 90-93 mph fastball with a dominating hard slider to post three saves in his first four appearances, while also striking out five in four innings. Rademacher expressed no interest in pitching when he red-shirted as a freshman at Cal State Fullerton in 2011, and similar reluctance initially when he transferred to Orange Coast. But he quickly realized when he started throwing bullpens and flashing superior stuff that pitching might be his meal ticket in the draft. The fact that he has an extremely-fresh arm only adds to his draft appeal. Before making his first appearance on the mound, Rademacher had already begun to make strides with scouts for his blossoming play as a power-hitting right fielder with solid all-around tools. He is hitting .342-6-42 on the season, and tied for the team lead in RBIs, but it’s his work on the mound that has most energized scouts.

 

The Cubs drafted him as an OF but reading that makes me wish they put him on the mound right away.

[UK1679666180]

Edited June 26, 2012 by UK

[davell]

From what I can gather, Hickman is in the same boat. Much better pitching prospect, but wants to be given the chance to catch.

[UK1679666180]

Edited June 26, 2012 by UK

[UK1679666180]

[Shilzzz]

what are all these edits???

[Guest]

what are all these edits???

UK had the scouting reports in various posts and edited them all into 1.

[ctcf]

For those following along at home:

 

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA

#Cubs can go to $4,156,395 for Albert Almora w/o relinquishing a pick. #mlbdraft

[Vinestal]

For those following along at home:

 

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA

#Cubs can go to $4,156,395 for Albert Almora w/o relinquishing a pick. #mlbdraft

But would you really want them to? Doesn't seem like that would be nearly necessary.

[jersey cubs fan]

For those following along at home:

 

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisBA

#Cubs can go to $4,156,395 for Albert Almora w/o relinquishing a pick. #mlbdraft

But would you really want them to? Doesn't seem like that would be nearly necessary.

 

Boras probably thinks it's necessary.